Central Asian officials and experts have hailed growing ties under China's Belt and Road Initiative as a model of good-neighborliness, strategic partnership, and shared development.
Leaders from China and Central Asian nations -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan -- signed the Astana Declaration and the Treaty of Permanent Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation on Tuesday during the second China-Central Asia Summit held in Astana, Kazakhstan, reinforcing commitments to a shared future under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Government officials and international experts praised the summit for strengthening diplomatic and economic ties across the region and fostering mutually beneficial growth.
"Kazakhstan and China work closely in the field of industrial cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. There are many joint projects in mining and metallurgy. Joint projects with Chinese companies in coal chemistry and mining were also discussed. A total of 133 projects worth 35 billion dollars are being implemented, and 54 of these projects worth nine billion dollars have already been implemented so far. This is an excellent platform for China and Central Asia to discuss issues of industrial integration and cooperation in the region," said Yersaiyn Nagaspayev, Kazakhstan's Minister of Industry and Construction.
According to Saifullo Safarov, chairman of the Association of Political Scientists in Tajikistan, the newly signed treaty was the result of the summit's emphasis on diplomatic cohesion.
"The heads of state jointly signed the Treaty of Permanent Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation. From the strategic perspective of building a China-Central Asia community with a shared future and common values, it points the way forward for future cooperation. China and the Central Asian countries share a deep mutual understanding, as we uphold the same principles of good-neighborly relations, sincere cooperation, mutual respect, and friendly coexistence. China has always engaged with other countries in a prudent and wise manner, respecting each and every partner," said Safarov.
Kairat Osmonaliyev, former Kyrgyzstan's Ambassador to Azerbaijan, shared his views on regional autonomy and international outlook.
"This summit fully demonstrates that Central Asian countries are taking a more proactive role in regional affairs, independently shaping their development agendas, and placing cooperation with China as a top priority. China has always adhered to a foreign policy of good-neighborliness, friendship, and mutual respect," he said.
The first China-Central Asia Summit was held in Xi'an, the provincial capital of Shaanxi in northwest China, in May 2023. It concluded with the Xi'an Declaration, saying that a mechanism for meetings among the heads of state of China and Central Asian countries has been officially established. The next edition of the summit is set to take place in China in 2027.
China, Central Asia prioritize good-neighborliness, mutual respect: observers
